Fountain pen



July 5,1927. 1,634,618

O. B. HJORTH I FOUNTAIN PEN lFiled sept. 2e, 1925 Patentes july. '1927. y l UNITED STA-'rss APivrENr oFFlcE.

osea-n.13. montra, or JANnsvILLn, wlscor'rsm, AssIeNon or 01m-mr, ro wlnnux n. smurf. or Jmnsvnmn, wrsconsm :FOUNTAIN PEN.

pacman mea september as, ma semi lo. sabes.

This invention relates to fountain pens of the type commonly known as self-filling fountain pens andmore particularly to that class of self-filling pens which are provided with a flexible ink-sack within the barrel. Usually bar is provided for compressing the ink-sack when lthe pen is to be filled, but such pressure bar causes undue wear on the rubber sack, does not completely collapse it and reducesthecapacity of the sack. 4

The present invention seeks to obviate these objections by providing a pen in whic the bar, which is ordinarily used for collapsing the ink-sack, is eliminated, and having -means for pumping air into the barrel to collapsethe sack substituted therefor, which means will be comparatively short in length so as to provide room for a comparatively large diameter and long ink-sack within the barrel. Another vobject is to rovide airco'mpressing means which wilv be simple in o eration, of few workingv parts and whic will be rigidsin its construction so v that it will withstand ksuch handling as a fountain pen is commonly subjected to. vOther objects and advantages of this invene tion willappear when reference is had to the followingv specification when considered in connection. with the accompanying drawings, wherein a selected embodiment of the invention is illustrated and in which:

Fig. 1 is alsectional view taken on an axis r of the pen, but showing the conventional writing end in elevation, and v Fig. 2 is -a sectional view of a modified pump structure which may be substituted for the structure shown in'Fig. 1."

Re'ferring'now to the drawings, a barrel n. prises a-cylinder. 13- havin threads at its .outer end'which are adapted to engage internal Ithreadsat the outer end of the barrel." The outer end of the cylinder` is provided vwith a' projecting stem '14a which is exteriorly threaded to receive an internally threaded end piece or cap 14. A hollow piston rod 16 extends through the stem or neck 14"` and isprovided witha piston 1'( at its,

innerend. A knob 18 at the outer end of Athe piston vrod is providedwith a reduced threaded portion 19'which is adapted to engage internal threads at the outer end of the plston rod 16. This pump structure'is provided `with an inlet check valve for admittin air into the pump chamber or cylinder an to prevent its escape therefrom, and also with a discharge check valve through which Acompressed lair is forced into the chamber occupiedv by the ink-sack, the pump being provided with means for unseatin both of these valves to permit the escape o air from the sack chamber. P i

The inlet check valve comprises a plug 21. fitting a tapered seat 22 in the hollow 4piston rod and also screw-threaded therein as shown, and having a valve seat at its vinner end, and a co-operating valve 23 having oppositely projecting stems 24 and 25. The stem 24 pro'ects outwardly through an Aaperture 26 in t e plug or seating member 21 and a spring 27 coiled about the stem 25 and engaglng an annular ange 28 in the piston rod, tends to press the valve toward its seat.

A partition or lclosure 30 is disposed at the inner end ofthe pump chamber or cylinder 13 and is provided with an o ning 31 surroundedby a seat 32 for the discharge check valve 33. A spring 34 coiledl about the steml 35 of the valve extends between a flange 36 on the stem and the closure 30 and tends to press the valve toward itsseat.

When the pen is filled, h e cap 14 is removed and the knob 18 is unscrewed a few turns suicient to permit the springs 27 and 34 to seat the valves 23' and 33. Then the piston is reciprocated by means ofthe knob 18, air entering the pump chamber through the inletvalve 23' during the out strokeand being forced into the ink-sack .chamber through the dischar e valve'33 during the forward stroke. A Few strokes of the pump piston will force. suicient air into the ink- `sack chamber to com letel collapse the inksack. The point en of t e pen is then yinserted in an ink supply and the knob 18 screwed in to open the valves 23 and 33, and so relieve the air pressure in the inksack chamber. Thereupon the resiliency of the sack 11 will cause it to expandland ink will be forced into it by atmospheric pressure. When the ink-sack has been so filled, the

lmob i8 is again unscrewe. a few turns or sufficient to permit the valves 33 and 23 to Y close thereby preventing inla Jrom entering the pump mechanism in case of breakage or leakage of the ink-sack. The cap le may then be replaced.

The cap 14; affords protection for the knob i8 and prevents its accidental displacement. A Vconventional cap 36 may be provicle which is aciapte to be placed over the pen point l2 to protect it when the pen is not in use ancl which may be placed on the op osite en of the barrel of the pen in or er to lengthen it when the pen is to be userl.

ln Fig. 2 a modiefl pump construction is shown which has the advantages of greater simplicity anficonsequent lower cost ot manuacture than the pump construction of Fig. l. The morliecl structure inclueles a cylinder 3'? substantially the same as the cylineier 13 of Fig. l. piston rod. 38 is slidable through an opening in the outer emi 39 of the cylinder 37 ami is provide with a. knob 4G at its outer enfl anal a piston head il is secure; to its inner cnil. The

. piston rofl 38 is bored out to provide an air inlet passage 42 therethrough as will be hereinafter explained.V The inner enel ci the cvlinzler is provideei with an emi piece or closure 43 having an opening fl-l therein,

that is aclapteci to be closed. by a discharge check valve 45. llhe latter is pressed tovvarfl' its closed position by an arcuate strap spring 46 which is held in place by cross bar a7 fastene in the end of the closure 43.

The operation of the above describerl pum is as follows: The piston 38 is reciprocate bylmeans of the knob e anal during the out stroke air will enter the pump charnber or cylinder 37 through the air passage 4:2, the valve e'heing heltl close by means of the spring 46. During the forward strohe of the. piston, passage l2 is closeil at its outer encl by placing a nger thereover so that the air in the cylinller will be compressed ami foreerl through the check valve Ll into the ink-sach chamber. By reciprocating the piston a few times, an amount of compresse air sucient to colla, se the `ink-sach is providetl, as is the case with the pump in Fig. l.' By holding vthe piston el at the extreme inner engl of its movement it will, byA engagement with the short outwardly projecting stem 48 of the valve 45, holcl the valve open ancl so relieve the air pressure in the mir-sach chamber thus permitting the expansion ami lling o the ink-sach when the pen point isv clipped. in ink. The spring 46 is preferably of sufticient strength to normal y close the valve when the piston is released whereby ink 'is preventeL from yentering the pump mechanisin as explained above with reference to Fig. 1. v A cap, similar to cap l shown in Fig. l, is preferably provided anti when nesso-re threae. on the recluce. outer en l portion 39 o the pum cylinder prevents accidental operation of t e piston.

The improvement provides a simple (lurable, self-filling pen. The pump structure is verycompact so that ample space is provided for a comparatively large ink-sack without unduly increasing the size of the pen barrel. A few strokes of the pump piston 'suces to completely collapse theV ink-sack so that itY is completely filled. There is little or no wear on the ink-sack and the lling device is such that it prevents leaking of ink from the barrel in case the ink-sack is broken.

Changes in the form anfl construction of the varts of the improvepen may be rea y made without flepartingfrom the scope of the invention as clenecl in the following claims.

l claim as my invention:

l. ln a fountain pen, .the combination oi: a barrel having a chamber at one end for an inh sach, a exible ink sack disposed in saicl chamber, a pumping device at the 0pposite end ot said barrel and operable to compress air into said chamber to collapse said ink sack, a check valve opening inwardly towards said inl: sack chamber for controlling communication therewith and operable to retain the compressed air within said chamber and means for holding said check valveopen ,to permit the escape of the compressed air therefrom, thereby permitting the sach to expan and receive a supply of inl:n

2. A fountain n comprising a barrel rlivided transversely? into two chambers, the chamber adjacent the outer emi forming a pump chamber, a reciprocating piston in the latter chamber, a compressible ink sach in the other of sairi chamber and a. check valve vopening inwarflly to the'latter of said chambers for controlling communication between the pump chamber Yand. the inl: sach chamber.

3. ln a fountain pen, the combination of a barrel, an ink-sack therein, a pump element in the outer ven of the barrel, said pump element vbeing operable to compress. air into said barrel to collapse saitl sack, a

check valve for preventing the, escape oair so compressed, and means or holding saixi check valve open Vto relieve the air pressure Within the barrel and permit sai. sack to expand.

4.111 a fountain pen, the combination 4of a barrel, a flexible ink-sack therein at one endL thereof, an air pumping clevice in the other end of the barrel and including a piston operable by' a plurality of strokes to compress air into said barrel to collapse the ink-sack, means forY preventing the escape of air so compressed into said barrel during the pumping operation, and means forI relieving the air pressure to permit the eXpansion of the ink-sack. l

5. In a fountain pen, the combination of a barrel, an ink-sack located therein, a pump ,y

structure located in the outer end of the barrel, said pump structure including a piston operable by a plurality of reciprocations to compress air into said barrel andI a check valve for preventing the escape of the air from the barrel during the compressing operation, the pump structure having means for unseating` said valve to permit the escape of air.

6. In a fountain pen, the combination of 'a barrel, a flexible ink-sack located therein. anda pump structure located in the 'barrel and forming a closure vfor the outer end thereof7 said pump structure being operable to compress air into said barrel to collapse said ink-sack and including a pump chamber,

'air therein to collapse the ink-sack, said pump structure comprising a pump chamber provided at its inner end with a check valve operable to permit the passage of air into said barrel but to prevent its escape therefrom, a piston having a hollovv piston rod forming an air inlet passa-ge, a check valve mounted in said passage, and means for lpermitting lthe escape of the air from said barrel.

8. In -a fountain pen, the combination of a barrel, a flexible sack therein atone end thereofl and a pump-in the outer end of the barrel and operable to compress air therein to collapse-the ink-sack, said pump structurecomprising a pump chamber provided at. its inner end with a discharge check valve, a piston in the pump chamber having a hollow 4piston rod forming an air inlet passage, an inlet check valve in said passage, and means for holding both of said valves open to permit-the escape of air from said barrel. i

9. The combination in a fountain pen of a barrel, a flexible ink-sack Within said barrel and connected to the pen point, a pump structure mounted as a unit within the outer end of the barrel and operable to' compress air therein to collapse said sack, said pump structure including valve means for pern'iitting the passage. of air -only into the barrel and also means for unseating saidvalve means to permit the escape of air from the barrel.

'OSCAR B. HJORTH. 

